Comments about Cycling | Steve Tilford

Two out of the last three days I’ve been short on sleep, but not of miles. I’ve ridden nearly 300 miles so far this week and I can really tell a difference, from a recovery standpoint, from just missing a few hours of sleep. Especially this morning, after riding 103 miles yesterday and going to a music concert. I’m not sure if the lack of sleep or being bombarded by loud music, for hours, is worse for recovery.

I wrote a list of things I wanted to do this year and #10 was sleep more. I haven’t been consciously trying to sleep more, but I’ve been trying not to have as many short nights as in the past. That is the main problem with all the rides that start at 7 am out here. Especially on Saturday mornings. You have to go to bed by 8:30 pm if you want to get up early enough to make the ride. I’d rather just sleep later, ride later, when it is warmer.

Anyway, I read a few studies on the internet last couple days and didn’t realize how important good sleep is. I read one where they deprived athletes of 2 hours of sleep a night for a little over a week. Their performances decreased an incredible amount. Nearly 9% on an endurance run. That is a lot.

I guess you produce growth hormone when you are sleeping. Growth hormone is obviously good for athletic performance. It helps repair/build muscle and aids in recovery.

So, I guess I’m probably not telling you anything that you don’t already know, but try to get as much quality sleep as you can. And don’t worry about missing the night before the competition. From personal experience, I’ve slept to nothing the night before a race and it really doesn’t affect the results. Sometimes I ride much better. Studies show the same conclusion. But, don’t try it two or three days in a row. That is a receipe for disappointment.

Even Lance needed a little extra growth hormone, back in the day.

The Big Head Todd concert last night was worth losing a little sleep over.

I drove up to Orange County and meet up with Mr. Donkey Label, Paul Krumrich. He is out here visiting an ex-college roomroommated riding a bit. I know Paul from Minneapolis/St. Paul. Hollywood has his shop in a building that Paul owes. Paul is just playing around, more than playing around, with making some cool cycling clothing and embrocation-type products. He’s one of those inventive types.

I met him at the Starbucks in Laguna this morning for a ride and rode up to Newport Beach. Man, once again, there is no place on the planet that has as many high end automobiles as Orange County. 100K+ cars everywhere. It is amazing. We met up with some of his friends at Sidecar Donuts up there. There was a line out the door. I never got in. Paul’s friends has already ran 17 miles and had a bunch of donuts already. I had a piece of a maple/bacon donut and a few others. Man, hot donuts are awesome.

Laguna is jammed right now. It is a tourist destination for sure. Great people watching. Between the people that really live here and the visitors, it is pretty strange. At least to a guy from Kansas. The beaches and ocean is unpaarelleled though. Super beautiful.

Trudi has been hangin in Sicily, on Mt. Etna, doing a high altitude training camp with the BMC guys that are doing the Giro. She had been there a week and last night took an all night ferry back to Italy, mainland, and is driving up to France for a stage race. Then she is doing Paris-Roubaix and she is done with her stint over in Europe. She stopped in Genoa to visit my friend Sara and her daughter, Yo. She had a very good time.

I’m driving over to Redlands this afternoon and watching the stage today there, then racing the criterium tomorrow. It is supposed to be in the upper 80’s, so that is going to be a shock to the system. Plus, I haven’t been doing any intensity for 3 weeks, so to might take a little to get used to. It should be fun though.